Why Assertiveness is a Challenge for So Many Professionals

presentations for creative professionals

Assertiveness doesn’t come naturally to a lot of us. It can often bring about an uncomfortable feeling that we’re rocking the boat or disrupting the status quo. So many of us are inclined to try to “fit in”, whether that’s within our families, with colleagues or friends. Nevertheless, assertiveness is an important skill to master … Read more

4 Ways to Make Your Call to Action More Appealing

improve your presentation's call to action

The “call to action” is a classic tactic in marketing, sales, advertising and other fields. In public speaking and presentations, we are encouraged to provide a call to action to our audience. It’s something that focuses the audience on a specific task, and helps them understand how to put your ideas and recommendations into practice. … Read more

Influence Skills: 7 Lessons From Professional Party Crashers

The Influence Skills to Persuade Influence skills enable you to persuade others to take some action. You can learn influence skills from countless sources. One of the best ways is to observe persuasive people in action. Enter the professional party crashers. In order to gain access to exclusive events and VIP parties, these guys need … Read more

When Acting Less Powerful is The Right Move

When Acting Less Powerful is the Right MoveWatch this video on YouTube (Listen or read the post below) Some people think they have to act powerfully in every situation. Their goal is to “win” every battle. Always have the cleverer comeback. Always interrupt people more than they interrupt you. Have others laugh at your jokes, … Read more

From Estate Tax to Death Tax: How to Change Public Opinion Overnight

Frank Luntz, a Republican consultant, spearheaded the messaging change from “estate tax” to “death tax” in the 1990s. The term “death tax” had been used decades before, but it was used again at that time as Republicans sought support for its repeal. By shifting the frame from a tax on “estates,” (which sounds like it only affects very … Read more

Cold Reading is a Useful Tool of Influence

Cold reading is a statement or guess about someone that is based on a very limited amount of information about them. It often comes in the form of a “high-probability guess.” Psychics use cold reads all the time: [To someone who arrived right on time for their appointment] “You are a very conscientious and detail-oriented person, … Read more

Shy? You Might Just Be Self-Centered

Imagine if Ghandi had said “Eh, I don’t want to talk about my ideas with too many people. I’m shy.” How different would history look? How different would the world be if everyone who had a profound talent or an amazing strength, instead of sharing it with others, decided to hide it out of “shyness.” … Read more

Reduce Public Speaking Anxiety by Accepting it

Have you ever felt your heart beating faster right before giving a speech or presentation? It’s common, especially when there is a lot of anticipation and buildup. For example, when you are scheduled to speak at 10:15 AM and there is a roster of speakers before you at 9:30, 9:45, 10:00… This buildup is what kills us. … Read more

The Cycle of Mediocrity and Failure That Keeps People Down

People that struggle with various challenges in their lives–relationships, fitness, careers, social skills, money management, dating–often exhibit the same pattern of effort and failure. Our efforts to break out of a rut and create a new pattern are foiled by our own mistakes. Once you start looking, you can see this cycle everywhere: Stage 1: Over time, … Read more